Abnormal Psychology essays

Abnormal Psychology essays Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a serious psychiatric illness that is characterized by certain characteristics including an impairing and distressing mental preoccupation with a defect in appearance which is either imagined or merely slight. Individuals that experience this somatoform disorder generally experience extremely impaired functioning in several realms, high rates of suicide attempts and ideation, as well as an overall poor quality of life (Phillips Researchers Phillips Participants included in the study were people who presented with DSM-IV BDD and were taking part in naturalistic study that was investigating the clinical course of BDD. All of the data used in this study were from evaluations established at the studys intake, so all the treatment data are observational. In particular, inclusion criteria for the study were diagnosed lifetime DS ...

Who Invented Homework and Why †Top Facts You Should Know

Who Invented Homework and Why – Top Facts You Should Know Homework is today an integral part of the educational process; it makes learning easier and more effective. We have been involved with doing tasks since school years. And very less of us were thinking about who invented homework. What is the name of that smart person to believe in a magic of homework; when was homework invented; when was the invention made? What was the initial purpose of homework? Let’s find answer to who invented homework and why in this post and discuss the practical value of at-home task a teacher puts behind it. I NEED MY HOMEWORK DONE Historical Facts Mentions of the term refer to the era of ancient Rome. In I century AD, Pliny the Younger, the teacher on the oratory who invented homework, asked his followers in Quintilian to participate in at-home activities. The practice was aimed at developing speaking skills of a person in a more informal atmosphere. Results of  homework assignments were just impressive; such teaching approach was used by other tutors moving forward. An Italian pedagog Roberto Nevilis is considered the real â€Å"inventor† of homework. He was the person who invented homework in far 1905 and made it a punishment to his students. Since time when was homework invented, this practice has become popular around the world. The end of the 19th century is notable due to significant changes in the education system. Great developments were associated with some changes in terms how frequently and what kind of homework was given by a tutor. This all affected education quality. Teachers following the approach of a tutor who invented the homework considered the fulfillment of homework as a necessary type of training; it was a compulsory part of training. From that point of view, teaching can hardly move forward without home lessons. Homework was defined as one of forms of independent work. Attaching great importance to the ability of the student to learn independently. In order for an at-home task to perform functions set by a tutor, it should meet the following criteria: it must be feasible; it should not be large and complex; it is not to be set at the beginning of training until students learn how to work independently. Learning at home can contribute to the general studying process. One of important tasks the modern school is facing is to improve quality of teaching. And homework is a great tool; a person who invented homework is a real hero in this regard. You can gain a lot of knowledge with a professional helper. ORDER HOMEWORK When Was Homework Invented? Owing to Roberto Nevilis, an Italian pedagog who invented the homework, we can notice obvious improvement in the education system and its efficiency since 1905. Since time when was homework invented, there is a real improvement in the education sector. Educators who adhere to traditional views on the learning process believe that home learning is an essential condition for efficient educational activities. According to a person who invented homework, it is a way to develop students' initiative, independence, individuality, and creative imagination. Apart from the above points, the need for home teaching is determined by following factors: During the in-school learning, a concentrated assimilation of the studied material takes place. Afterwards, the gained knowledge is forgotten. To prevent this forgetting, homework is needed; Mastery of scientific concepts requires their repeated comprehension and assimilation; The thoroughness and strength of the material assimilation being studied is achieved only when its memorization is dispersed; Home learning is important for the development of students' creative talents and abilities. The success of the teaching depends on the success of homework preparing. This aspect has been considered since time when was homework invented; organization of homework is the most difficult thing in the teaching and educational process. Many aspects of this problem require the closest attention from the tutor. When elaborating an assignment for children, teachers should realize that the process of educational material assimilation passes through obligatory stages: perception comprehension fastening the formulation of the formation of skills application of new knowledge and skills in practice If you wonder who invented homework and why, read further to know even more. What Are the Main Purposes of Homework? The role of homework has always been discussed not just by those who invented school and homework. Many people today believe that homework is not obligatory for mastering the studied material. But recent scientific research proves the opposite. According to the study, homework plays an important role in improving quality of students' knowledge. This is true about elementary school. Who invented homework and why? According to Roberto Nevilis, who invented school and homework, this academic task provides the student with the opportunity: to work without haste; to study with no outside estimation; to choose the optimal rhythm (hours) of work; to independently plan the course of work; to involve all necessary sources of information. Based on above points, the value of the academic assignment is in: fixing in memory the material disassembled in the classroom; repetition of previously passed material; consolidation and expansion of various skills necessary for independent work. The main purpose of the homework:   education of strong-willed efforts of the child, responsibility and independence; mastering the skills of educational work, expressed in various ways of teaching; formation of the ability to extract necessary information from various directories, manuals, dictionaries; the formation of student's research skills (comparison, comparison, assumption, hypothesis construction, etc.). A suitable system of homework assignments in each class and the totality of all classes is a prerequisite for the students to successfully master the program material. It necessitates to apply different types of homework. The main goal of the tutor is the rationale for the type of homework depending on material being studied. The tutor should be able to correctly combine different variants of homework in each class and in all classes. A good option would be to get students out of the box with outdoor learning. ORDER NOW - RECEIVE YOUR A-GRADE PAPER Types of Homework Since the time when was homework invented, there were not many types of individual tasks. Since the person who invented school and homework didn’t have a chance to do enough â€Å"testing† in this regards, it was difficult to him to create a formula of effective at-home studying. Nowadays, teachers involve the following types of homework in the studying process. Mastering material under study according to the textbook; Performance of oral exercises; Performance of written exercises; Performance of creative works (essay writing, etc.); Preparation of reports on the studied material (coursework writing, etc.); Conducting observations and experiments. With a balanced combination of above homework types, it is possible to help students easily perceive information. Click here to get more info about writing an A-grade argumentative essay. Become a guru of case study writing with our  guide. What’s the Role of Homework in Improving the Education Quality? One way to ease the learning process is to improve the content and organization of at-home tasks on the subject. The variety of homework variants is vast. Each is aimed at improving the quality of students' knowledge, enhancing studying process, and systemizing acquired knowledge. Psychologists have found that the assimilation of knowledge and methods of activity is critical. The primary perception and consolidation of knowledge during the lesson with any arbitrarily effective organization of the study process must necessarily be supported by subsequent thinking and applying new knowledge. And if the primary perception and consolidation of knowledge can be frontal, the subsequent work is to be individual and independent. Homework is not a means of controlling a student. It is an opportunity to devote time to the studied subject. In such a way, you can systematize knowledge gained in the class and sharpen your skills on a particular topic. Without completing at-home tasks, the student deprives himself of additional time in studying. The goal of such an assignment is to consolidate knowledge and practice the skills acquired in the lesson. If you have other ideas and questions about who invented homework and why feel free to share your comments in a below section.

Critical success factors for fashion market online retailing business Essay

Critical success factors for fashion market online retailing business - Essay Example 5.5.3 Scalability 80 5.6 Brand Management 80 Chapter 6: Discussion and Conclusion 83 6.1 Introduction 83 6.2 Summary of Findings 84 6.3 Study's Contribution 86 6.4 Directions for Further Research 87 6.5 Conclusion 88 Acknowledgements There are many people whom I would like to include in my Acknowledgement,' not least of which are all the professors who taught me at this university. Each and every one of them contributed to my intellectual development and gave me the tools I needed throughout the research and the writing of my dissertation. I know that if it were not for them, I would not have been able to research and write this study. In my opinion, however, few deserve the acknowledgement due to my supervisor, David Bromilow. He, more than any, knows how confused I was by the sheer size of this project and how, more often than not, I lost direction and, sometimes, confidence. His continued patience and invaluable guidance are what kept me on track. The support which David Bromilow gives all his students and, his constructive criticisms and advice, are responsible for my having finished this dissertation and my presenting of it. I am extremely grateful to him. Last but not least, I want to reserve a special acknowledgement to my parents in Hong Kong and both my aunt and uncle. Their continued and unfailing emotional and financial support have brought me where I am today and have, indeed, opened up a world of possibilities before me. Therefore, it is to them that I dedicate my dissertation. Abstract Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction Over the last decade the user-friendly Internet has been developed such that E-commerce is now widely used as a main competing business mechanism. In fact the growth of E-commerce has... The paper tells that E-commerce has become more significant in recent years, though it has been developed in various forms for past 20 years. For example, ‘Electronic Data Interchange’ (EDI) provides a collection of standard message formats and an element dictionary for business to exchange data through an electronic messaging service’. Another example is ‘Electronic Funds Transfer’ (EFT) first introduced in the late 1970s, which transfers money between financial repositories such as banks or bank accounts’. The growth and acceptance of credit cards, Automated Teller Machines and telephone banking can also be regarded as alternative forms of E-commerce. Although many- of these electronic trading technologies have brought progressive effects to their own markets and increased recognition on these systems to their customers, it is very obvious that E-commerce has certainly purveyed its excellence and has brought huge impact on the economic transf ormation only in recent years. In simple terms, ‘E-Commerce’ or Electronic Commerce is defined as ‘the process of buying, selling or exchanging products, services and information via computer networks including the Internet’. It is also alternatively defined; ‘The entire set of processes that support commercial activities on a network and involve information analysis’. Recently, however, we have seen explosive development in E-commerce mainly thanks to the development of the Internet and the World Wide Web, which facilitate e-commerce much more accessible. E-commerce can be simply categorised into two major activities; ‘Business-to-Business (B2B)’ and ‘Business-to-Consumer (B2C)’ activities.

Essay discussion Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion - Essay Example Therefore, in order to build a child’s rapport with literacy, it is imperative that the social and culture capital of children’s engagement with one another is appreciated. Literacy should be perceived as a social practice. This is the way we can achieve expertise on the use of emerging technology that is required in the profession, and is also the need of the present age. Educationalists have conventionally been reluctant to include the popular culture in their pedagogy because it is believed that the popular culture is based on the themes of sexism, racism and violence. Corporate media has always highlighted Black youth culture as the basis of sexism in the society (Rhymes, 2007). In my professional practice, when I would be working with children and families, I will incorporate popular culture in my pedagogy, though I would make sure that I teach the children how to criticize and reject the negative elements of the popular culture and appreciate and adopt the positiv e ones. Reflection upon Class mate 2’s presentation: In the contemporary age, technology is being increasingly employed in the educational setup for pedagogical purposes. Websites have made it easy for teachers and parents to make the children learn alphabets and figures. Research has shown that incorporation of popular culture into pedagogy boosts a child’s interest in studies and the child’s critical thinking and analyzing skills are polished. However, some teachers are reluctant to incorporate popular culture into their pedagogy because popular culture considers man superior to woman, frequently projects adult material and promotes racism. There has occurred a lot of debate on the violent video games as the cause violence in the society (Sternheimer, 2009). Also, mass media has always been influencing white Americans’ perceptions of the African Americans (Balkaran, 1999). Bianca et al. (2011) have favored the popular culture and have said that it shoul d be wisely used to gain maximum benefits. Popular culture must be used in child education so that the children can be made aware of the controversial issues of the society at a very young age. This is conducive for the development of their better understanding of the society and they can behave as responsible citizens when they grow up. As I discussed before, I shall definitely incorporate popular culture in early child education because it would not only help me making the children learn, but would also improve the quality of education, not to mention that I would be very prudent in the selection of material. References: Anon. (n.d.). Pop Culture. Retrieved from http://english.berkeley.edu/Postwar/pop.html. Balkaran, S. (1999). Mass Media and Racism. The Yale Political Quarterly. 21(1). Retrieved from http://www.yale.edu/ypq/articles/oct99/oct99b.html. Bianca, Melissa, Sarah, and Rebecca. (2011). Popular Culture and Literacy. Powerpoint. Jaksic, A., Fulton, H., Capps, S., Jacobs, D., Sultani, M., and Stojcevska, M. (2011). Popular Culture. Powerpoint. Rhymes, E. (2007). White Culture: Sexism, Racism and Violence. Retrieved from http://www.africaresource.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=277:white-culture-sexism-racism-and-violence&catid=136:race&Itemid=351. Sternheimer, K., (2009). Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture: Why Media is not the Answer. Retrieved from

Economic Development Record Essay Example for Free

Economic Development Record Essay Economies all around the globe develop over time depending on the policies that they undertake to utilise the resources within their boundaries. Nations that utilise their resources experience economic growth and there is great inflow and outflow of goods and services in those nations. Economic growth means that the nation is utilising its resources efficiently and this has resulted into increased productivity within the various sectors of the economy. Industries within the nation increase as a result of the improved economic performance that will result to the creation of more employment opportunities hence reducing unemployment levels in the nation (Daquila 2004). Due to the increase in the number of industries and output in the already existing industries, employment opportunities increase and this brings about a reduction in the number of citizens unemployed. Unemployment is very crucial in calculating a nations GDP which is an indicator to a nations performance. Economic growth depicts an increase in pa capita income. This is the income associated with every individual in the economy although they may not have it in their possession (Daquila 2004). Pa capita income is calculated by dividing the overall value of the economy proportionately divided between the nations overall economy. On the other hand, Daquila (2004) defines economic development as the improvement in the livelihood of individual citizens of a nation together with that of the systems that are in place in the nation. A nations system involves economic, political and social framework from which the economy operates in. All the above plus economic growth defines economic development. Economic performance is measured using various tools that include GNP and GDP. GDP estimates the economic performance giving consideration to internal and external trades (Daquila 2004). In establishing the GDP, consideration is given to consumption in the nation, expenditure by the Government, investments in the nation, trades in the nation that is imports and exports. Consumption comprises of perishable non-perishable goods and services within the nation. In determining the non-perishable goods they are assumed to be products that will last for a period of three years from the date of manufacturing. GNP refers to the difference between imported products and services and the exported products. The value of this difference added to the value of products services generated within the economy results to the GNP. To evaluate the economic performance of a nation, a number of indicators are used to measure exactly how the economy is progressing towards its economic objectives. A nation has to determine the level of consumption of its individual citizens (Todaro 1997). The level of consumption means the proportion an individual spends after receiving their income. The remaining part of the income is saved. The consumption level of a nation determines the amount of savings in the economy. Savings on the other hand, stimulates growth in the economy. When individuals increase their savings, the financial institutions hold more money thus the cost of accessing funds is low. Business entities in the nation are able to access funds at a low cost from the financial institutions. The borrowed funds are used for the expansion of business operations across the industries within the economy. The expansion of business activities results to an increase in national output and employment (Munk OHearn 1999). The increase in national output increases the exports of a nation in respect to its imports. The resulting balance of trade will be positive hence the nation has more in terms of foreign reserves that will assist them when it comes to purchasing produces from other countries. Therefore, savings are very vital for the improvement of the performance of an economy. T o induce savings in the economy, the opportunity cost of saving has to be high so that individuals can adopt a trend of saving since they are compensated bountifully for foregoing consumption. It can be concluded that increase in savings results to an increase in investments that contribute towards the growth of an economy. Increased activity within the economy results to an increase in production levels of the economy (Ros 2000). The nation is able to produce more products services, that are able to meet the needs of the nations population. Since the products are locally manufactured, they are quite affordable thus individuals are able to spend less and save more. This results to an increase in the real income that individuals have in their pockets and are ready to spend. It should be noted that increased production has to be met by equal consumption otherwise it could result to losses that will hurt the economy. Depending on the expansion of the economy, rates of unemployment adjust themselves in more or less the same rates. Increased production will require an increase in manpower that will be able to maintain the production levels. Nations with large populations face a major challenge in absorbing its citizens in the workforce. Individual citizens for a start need to have the relevant skills required to perform in different industries. Education in these economies has to be committed and directed towards instilling individuals with the necessary skills that will be useful in rendering service to the various sectors of the economy. A skilled population results to economic development since the individuals are prone to exercise their skill base towards living a better life thus contributing to the economys growth. Economic development depends also on the expenditure of the nations authority (Preston 1999). The government consists of various departments that oversee the implementation of policies that improve the state of the economy. These departments are given the financial power to implement and improve on the various economic aspects for example the development of basic infrastructure within the economy. In improving the infrastructure, the government releases money from its coffers to the public. This way, the supply of money increases to equal its demand. In most cases, when the Government spends on its development programs, money supply is more than the money demanded. If this situation is allowed to go unchecked it might result to inflation and later to stagflation; a situation where both the unemployment and inflation rates are so high. Therefore, Government involvement in an economy has to be considered carefully when undertaking development projects. Increased rates of production in an economy increases the output levels that may go over and beyond in meeting the local demand. Having satisfied the local demand, excess products can be exported to other nations. This facilitates international trade where nations exchange commodities they have in excess for commodities they do not have. Nations should avoid importing more and exporting less as this leads to a negative trade balance. This means that the nation spends more in foreign currency than it receives. Third world and developing nations should consider the above variables if they are to achieve spurred economic growth. They most important is to ensure that their population is skilled so that they can utilise their skills by establishing some income generating activity that will create employment opportunities and increase the total production of their economy. MALAYSIA. The present day Malaysia attained independence in the 1957 from the British administration and accorded the sovereign status in 1963 (Malaysia 2008). The Britons established themselves in early 1880s and later went on to control the state by establishing a self governing authority for the Malaysian people. The Federal States of Malaysia were incorporated in the 1895. The states were under the British control until when the Japanese invaded in 1942. Britain waged war over Japan and in 1945 the states where reinstated under the jurisdiction of the British. In 1948, guerilla movements begun protesting against the colonial authority that resulted to an emergency declaration. In 1965, the Federation state of Singapore disintegrated from the member nations opting for self governance. 1957 saw the attaining of independence of the Federation from the British authorities. In the late 1960s, the Malaysian government sought to balance the economy among its nationals so as to attain economic development by equal distribution of national wealth among its constituent communities (Malaysia 2007). Malaysia has got a rich culture that is evident from its diverse communities and language speaking citizens. Its population consists of Chinese speakers, Indians, English, among other languages (Malaysia 2007). The large population consists of Malaysian natives alongside Chinese, Indians and other local communities. Malaysia consists of individuals who practise different religious beliefs that include Hindu, Islam, Buddhist, Sikh among other religions. The richness of Malaysia presents it with a competitive workforce than any other nation in the world. The improved economic performance of Malaysia is as a result of a united people from different cultures and not allowing politics to ruin their nation. Malaysia has had to maintain a united nation and focussing on the togetherness of the nation by avoiding self interests. Malaysia is enriched with natural resources that include crude oil and that it has had to deal with the resource in a careful manner to avoid the negative repercussions that result from the unfair distribution of natural resource gains. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The GDP reflects the total activity in the economy. This considers both the public and private sectors of the economy and their contribution towards the development of the economy. It also takes into consideration the behaviours of the citizens in regards to spending. Malaysias GDP has been increasing constantly from 1998-2008 at a rate of 6- 9 per cent. In 2007, the GDP stood at $357. 4 billion. Malaysias population is slightly higher than 26 million thus giving a pa capita income of $13,300 (UNDP 2008). The GDP in 1986 was at $28. 2 billion. The GDP increase signifies an increase in all major facets of the economy. Government spending has increased from 16. 4 in 1986 to 12. 0 in 2006. The Governments decision to reduce its spending avoids the negative impacts that result when money supply is more than the money demanded in the economy. Key sectors of the economy that have immensely contributed to the GDP are industrial sector that has been a leading contributor since 1986 to 2006 with a percentage of 49. 9 compared to 38. 5 in 1986. Manufacturing follows a close second with 29. 8% in 2006 from 19. 3% in 1986. The provision of services has also reduced from 41. 7% to 41. 3% in 2006. Lastly, agricultural sector has reduced its contribution to the GDP from 19. 8 per cent to 8. 7 per cent in 2006 (Malaysia 2007). The above data shows that the economy has shifted its dependency on agriculture as a contributor to the GDP. The economy has shifted its focus mainly from agriculture to industrialization where industries are the main contributors to the GDP. Industrial growth is a major boost to the Malaysian economy since it increases the nations production ability and is able to meet the demand of the nations internal demand. This has elevated Malaysia to an industrialized nation due to its potential ability to the production of services products. These increased production levels are able to meet local and international demand hence receiving foreign currencies that will result to a positive capital account. National Consumption and Savings. According to the World Bank report, the percentage of consumption by the citizens that was used in calculating the GDP decreased from 54. 2 in 1986 to 50. 3 in 2006. That of the government decreased from 16. 4 per cent to 12. 0 per cent . The mean growth per annum indicated the citizens consumption had decreased from 9. 1 to 7. 0 and Government spending reduced from 6. 5 to 5. 0. The figures show that both the Government and individuals in the nation have adopted a behaviour of saving or reducing their spending habits. By reducing spending, more is saved with the nations financial institutions as the individuals are compensated for foregoing consumption. Savings spur growth in the sense that investors will borrow funds and expand their business activities that will result to an increase production. The increase in production across the industry results to increase in the national output. An increase in national output will increase the nations participation in international trade thus achieving a favourable trade balance. Low government interference in the economy maintains a stable money supply within the economy. By maintaining stability in money supply in the economy, inflation is avoided since it negatively impacts the economy. Increased government expenditure increases the money supply in the economy. This increases the purchasing power of individuals in a way that they can be able to purchase goods and professional services in the country. This presents a situation whereby there is much money chasing few goods within the economy. To mop up this effect the regulating financial authority will need to increase its interest rates. This means that there will be an increase in cost of borrowing that will result to inaccessibility to funds by corporate organisations. Corporations will be unable to maintain their current levels of production thus the need to lay off its workers. This situation will be characterized by increase in unemployment rates, reducing national output and economic performance. The economy will not be performing at its optimum and will have wasted on its human resource. Therefore, Government involvement in large amounts destabilises a nations economic performance. Income and Output Growth Rates. The export of manufactured products have increased since 1986 from USD6. 009m to USD124. 530m in 2006 (World Bank). The above figures indicate that manufacturing has increased over time and that the economy has shifted its focus to increasing its industrial capacity. By increasing industrial capacity ensures that the nations industry is able to satisfy the ever growing demand of the nation. Economic development requires that a nation first satisfies its population fully before embarking on the satisfaction of outside markets. The nation is required to make sure that all key markets are satisfied and that the demand of a nation is met. These means that different industries will have the capability of serving different markets. Unless a nations population is satisfied, development of an economy is difficult. New industries are formed that provides the final consumer with a product similar to those of another company to enhance competition. Competition among industries ensures the production of quality products that will give the consumer a wide range of choice. Companies will strive to out do one another in both the primary and secondary markets. The increased income and output growth rates can be attributed to the rich natural resources that are found in the nation. The natural resources are raw materials that are processed into finished products that are exported to international countries. As of 2004, its partners included the US, Korea, Singapore, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia and China. Among the raw products include oil, copper, timber, natural gas and iron (Malaysia, 2007). Most industries in Malaysia are processing based located mainly on the western island. They process the raw materials that are extracted into finished products. It is due to this value addition that the nation is mainly industry based and most of the population is employed. The industries in Malaysia also deal in the production of textiles and electronic equipment. They development of industries in the large scale have contributed significantly to the development of the Malaysian economy. Employment and Unemployment Percentages. Malaysias population comprises of the elderly, the middle aged and the young. From the world bank report, children legible for enrolment into primary schools stood at 96 percent for both male female students in 2006. this indicates that the Malaysian government embraces education as a factor to economic development. A skilled population is economically beneficial since the individuals will strive to utilise their skill base towards achieving their own development that will later translate to economic development. One of the key issues addressed by the UNDP towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)is human capacity building which means that nation should ensure that they impart skills on their citizens by way of offering courses education to all its citizens and ensuring that it is affordable for all (UNDP). A nation that has an educated population is set to reap benefits from that same population because they will aim at exercising their knowledge in the various fields of expertise and also aim at developing products that will improve on the already existing ones therefore looking for new efficient ways of production. Malaysias literacy rate stands at 89 percent as of 2006 indicating that most of the population is skilled resulting to lower unemployment cases. Malaysia is among the developing nations and is striving to attain the MDGs that will direct them to achieving a developed world status. With about 5 per cent of land is available for farming, Malaysia cannot only depend on farming and that the population must acquire some knowledge in other activities. As of 2007, Malaysias unemployment rate stood at 3. 2 per cent and inflation rate stood at 2. 1 per cent. The Phillips Curve states that inflation and unemployment are inversely related whereby high inflation results to low unemployment rates and vice versa. This is because when there is high inflation in an economy, most of the population has got some amount of money therefore resulting to some form of engagement in income generating activities. Therefore Malaysia as an economy has really tried in dealing with unemployment levels by making sure that a large part of its population is skilled. The Malaysian Government has formulated a number of policies aimed at improving its economic performance for example the New Economic Policy of 1971 (Malaysia 2007). Government Budget Activity. Government involvement in an economy should be restricted for it can have diverse negative impacts on the economy. The government, however, has got to interfere with severally in the economy since it has to provide for social amenities such as water, education, infrastructure among others for they cannot be left to the control of the private sector. When providing for these amenities, the Government gets money from the state coffers and pays the contractors among other parties that will implement development policies in the nation resulting to increased money supply. By increasing money supply, prices of products rise since the demand for the products will also increase. This will lead to increased production of products and increase national output that will result to more employment opportunities. Therefore government interference is good in the short run as it will stimulate the economic activities. However, continued government interference will hurt the economy in the long run since more money is available in the nation thus raising the prices of the products in the economy. The soaring inflation will then destabilise the nations exchange rate that will depreciate. With the depreciating of the local currency, Ringgit, imports become expensive since industries and individuals will require more money to import products thus hindering the efficiency of engaging in international trade. From the world bank report 2006 on Malaysia, 99 per cent of the population has access to clean water supply. The government has therefore given preference to the basic resources that affects the Malay in their daily lives. The report also gives the figures for Government involvement as; current revenue has decreased from 26. 8 per cent in 1986 to 21. 6 per cent in 2006 while the overall budget balance has increased from a deficit of -0. 8 per cent in 1986 to 2. 8 per cent in 2006 (Malaysia 2007). This figures indicate that the government has restricted on its involvement in the economy so as to control the economic impact caused by excessive Government involvement.

Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal Essay -- American History Poli

June 17th, 1972 would be a day America would never forget--it was the start of one of the largest scandals in our government. Richard Nixon was president of the United States and the people trusted him. However this trust would be betrayed, as he got involved in something now known as the Watergate Scandal. This was an interesting time in history because it was a large cover up by the Republican Party. Also, how different people reacted to this event was fascinating because some people were so blind to the truth, that they stuck behind Nixon even once tapes and other credible evidence against him was produced. In this paper I will describe the events of Watergate and the publics opinion and reactions to this lengthy Scandal that corrupted our Nations government. Richard Nixon was the thirty-seventh President of the United States of America, serving a term from 1969-1974, being elected not once but twice. He is the only President to have resigned from office during his term as President, by doing this however he escaped the likely process of being impeached. However Ford who was his successor, pardoned him and let him keep his dignity. The Watergate scandal started with the arrest of five burglars who had broken into the headquarters of the Democratic committee. After many lengthy investigations by the FBI and other government organizations it was found that this burglary was only one of the many illegal activities that had been going on under Nixon’s administration. Men that were involved in the burglary at the Watergate hotel and offices were found to be part or former members of Nixon’s staff. Then one of the men arrested turned out to be the Nixon committee’s security coordinator. Federal and state investigators next lear... ...nt and the people we choose to elect to office. Works Cited 1 â€Å"Republican Mystery.† New York Times (1857-Current file);Aug 26, 1972; ProQuest Historical Newspapers. The New York Times (1851-2004) pg. 24 2 â€Å"Cover-up.† William V. Shannon. New York Times(1857-Current file); Sep 24, 1972; ProQuest Historical Newspapers. The New York Times91851-2004) E13 3 â€Å"Politics And the F.B.I.† Tom Wicker. New York Times(1857-Current file); Sep 21, 1972; ProQuest Historical Newspapers. The New York Times(1851-2004) pg. 47 4 â€Å"The Lessons of Watergate: Thirty Years On.† Michael A Genovese. Presidential Studies Quarterly. Washington: Jun 2004. Vol. 34, Iss. 2; pg. 455-8. 5 â€Å"Exorcising Nixon’s Ghost.† David Greenberg. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif.: Jul 9, 2007. Pg. A. 15 6 â€Å" Watergate.† John Giuffo. Columbia Journalism Review. New York: Nov/Dec 2001. Pg. 74-5

Cognitive Behavior Therapy Essay

What is cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)? CBT works by changing people’s attitudes and their behavior. It focuses on the thoughts, images, beliefs and attitudes that we hold (our cognitive processes) and how this relates to the way we behave and deal with our emotional problems. Research has shown that cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in treating anxiety disorders as well as panic disorders and social phobias. The cognitive component helps change the thinking patterns that keep one from overcoming their fears. For example, a person with a panic disorder might be helped in seeing that his or her attacks are not really heart attacks as believed. The tendency to interpret physical symptoms as the worst case scenario can be overcome. Also, someone exhibiting symptoms of a social phobia could be taught how to overcome the belief that others are continually judging him or her. The behavioral therapy component pays close attention to the relationship between our problem, our behavior and our thoughts. CBT can be effective therapy for the following problems: anger management, anxiety and panic attacks, depression, drug and alcohol problems, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These are just a few of the many problems that can be successfully treated with CBT. Studies have shown that having just twelve sessions of CBT can be as helpful in treating depression as taking medication throughout a two year follow-up period. Of course, CBT is quite complex and is not a miracle cure. Being treated by a counselor with specific CBT expertise is recommended. The client must also be persistent and open-minded. The CBT approach has recently been used in many pre-packaged, brand name programs such as, â€Å"Reasoning and Rehabilitation,† â€Å"Aggression Replacement Therapy,† â€Å"Thinking for Change,† and others (â€Å"Preventing Future Crime with CBT†). In some instances, medication can be accompanied with psychotherapy for best results in treatment. This is important to give any treatment a fair trial. If one approach doesn’t work, chances are, another one will. Be persistent and don’t give up! Works Cited Preventing Future Crime with Cognitive Behavior Therapy (http://www.all-about-psychology.com/cognitive-behavior-therapy.html)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS1. PURPOSE22. SCOPE23. REFERENCES24. TERMS, DEFINITIONS & ABBREVIATIONS35. RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY36. RECORD & DATA KEEPING37. DOCUMENT CHANGE HISTORY38. ASSET MANAGEMENT DEFINITION49. STAKEHOLDERS410. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS411. ASSET MANAGEMENT QUALITY FRAMEWORK512. ASSET MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES513. ASSET MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT PROCESS1014. ASSET MANAGEMENT STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT1115. ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM COMPONENTS1116.CONCLUSION18| LIST OF FIGURES Figure 21: Scope of Asset Management Framework (PAS55)2 Figure 121: Rand Water Supply and Purification Systems6 Figure 122: Asset Management Plans7 Figure 123: Asset Management Planning and Management Structure8 Figure 124: Organogram9 Figure 151: Asset Management System Components12 1. PURPOSE The purpose of this document is to provide a framework for the adoption and implementation of asset management for Rand Water’s physical asset portfolio. 2. SCOPEThis framework applies to physi cal assets associated with production infrastructure under the jurisdiction of Rand Water. Assets consist of buildings and property, pipelines, civil structures, mechanical equipment, electrical equipment water treatment process plants, and automation equipment. It excludes human assets, financial assets, information assets, intangible assets, and movable equipment. Figure 21: Scope of Asset Management Framework (PAS55) 3. REFERENCES The following documents must be read in conjunction with this Framework. Document Title| Document No. Location| Quality Management System Requirements| ISO 9001:2000 | RW Library| Environmental Management System Requirements| ISO14001:2004| RW Library| Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations| OHS Act (85 of 1993)| RW Library| Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series| OHSAS 18001:2007| RW Library| International Infrastructure Management Manual – South Africa Edition 2006 | ISBN No:0-473-10685-X| RW Library| Asset Management Part 1: Specification for the optimized management of Assets| BSI PAS 55-1:2008| RW Library| Asset Management Part 2: Guidelines for the application of PAS 55-1| BSI PAS 55-2:2008| RW Library| Rand Water – Strategic Asset Management Process Guides – Know Your Assets| RW SAM 60001 BPM SIS| RW Library| 4. TERMS, DEFINITIONS & ABBREVIATIONS These are terms used in the organization & are unique to the company terminology, business and culture. AMAsset ManagementAMFAsset Management Framework AMPAsset Management Plan KPIKey Performance Indicators O&MOperations and Maintenance R&DResearch and Development RWRand Water SAMStrategic Asset Management 5. RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY The Chief Executive is accountable and Portfolio Heads are responsible for the implementation of Asset Management in RW. The General Manager: Strategic Asset Management is responsible for the implementation of Strategic Asset Management with regards to production infrastructure under the jurisdiction of Ra nd Water. 6. RECORD & DATA KEEPING Record Document| Form/Doc Number| Location | Retention Period| | | | | | | | | 7. DOCUMENT CHANGE HISTORYThe following table contains the history of this document with a description of each revision. Date| Previous revision number| New revision number| Description of each revision| 23 Sep 2010| N/A| 0| First draft| 17 Nov 2010| 0| A| Second draft| 10 Dec 2010| a| B| Third draft| 17 Feb 2011| b| C| Fourth draft| 9 Mar 2011| c| D| Fifth draft| 8. ASSET MANAGEMENT DEFINITION The following definition for asset management is adopted, based on PAS 55: Asset Management is the systematic and coordinated activities and practices through which Rand Water optimally manages its assets, their associated performance, risks and expenditures over their lifecycle for the purpose of achieving its organizational strategic plan. 9. STAKEHOLDERSThe following stakeholders are relevant to asset management: * Customers who purchase water from Rand Water; * Suppliers and s ervice providers; * Government; * Standards authorities; and * Auditor General of South Africa. 10. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS The following legislation and regulation are relevant: Annual Financial Statements are required to be prepared in compliance with the South African Statements of Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (SA GAAP), the Water Services Act No 108 of 1997, Companies Act No 61 of 1973, and the Public Finance Management Act No 1 of 1999 as amended. The Constitution (and its amendments) secures the right of every Citizen to sufficient water;The Water Act ensures that everyone has access to water, water resources are conserved, protected and managed, proper water resource planning takes place, the costs of managing and developing the resource is addressed and that water resource institutions are established. The Water Services Act defines the rights to basic water supply, the setting of national standards and norms, water services planning, regulation of water services, e stablishment of water boards, the monitoring of water service provision and the promotion of effective water resource management and conservation. The Water Services Act is supported by the Strategic Framework for Water Services which sets out an implementation framework for the Act and gives effect to the regulation of water services delivery.The principle objectives of the PFMA are to secure transparency, accountability, and sound management of the revenue, expenditure, assets and liabilities of the institutions to which this Act applies. In terms of this Act, from an asset management perspective Rand Water is: * responsible for the effective, efficient, economical and transparent use of the resources of the department, trading entity or constitutional institution; * responsible for the management, including the safe-guarding and the maintenance of the assets, and for the management of the liabilities; The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) (85 of 1993, Construction Regulat ions) state that: the owner of any â€Å"structure† (incl. nfrastructure such as waterworks, buildings, drainage works and roads) to maintain such structure in a manner that the structure remains safe for continued use and such maintenance records shall be kept and made available to an inspector for continued use. 11. ASSET MANAGEMENT QUALITY FRAMEWORK The development of an ISO Standard for Asset Management is currently in progress. The ISO Standard development is being led by the British Standards Institute (BSI) as secretariat and there are 22 countries participating and 14 countries observing. South Africa is participating with representation from the SABS. The ISO standard is expected to be launched in late 2011. The final ISO standard is expected to be substantially aligned with the current PAS55 specification for asset management, which has widespread adoption around the world by both public and private enterprises.Rand Water will adopt the PAS55 specification as an int erim framework for the implementation of asset management until the launch of the ISO Quality Standard for Asset Management. Once the ISO Quality Standard has been launched, Rand Water can evaluate the formal adoption of the Quality Standard within the organization. 12. ASSET MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The strategic assets of Rand Water work together as one large system, for which custodianship is assigned to the Senior Manager Assets. However, the Rand Water assets can currently be split into 4 main supply systems and 2 main purification systems, on the basis of geography and function.The systems are the following: * Eikenhof Supply System * Zwartkopjies Supply System * Palmiet Supply System * Mapleton Supply System * Vereeniging Purification System * Zuikerbosch Purification System These systems are shown in the figure below. Figure 121: Rand Water Supply and Purification Systems The management objectives of the Supply Systems are somewhat different from the m anagement objectives of the Purification Systems. The management objectives of the Supply Systems are focused on satisfying commercial customer service levels, managing current and future user demand, and managing water delivery including water conveyance, pumping, storing, and end user delivery control.The Purification System management objectives revolve around managing the purification of raw water to agreed quantity and quality service levels. Given the vast magnitude of the assets under Rand Water control and the different management objectives, it is prudent to split the asset management planning responsibility according to the different supply systems and then roll these plans up into a consolidated Asset Management Plan (AMP) for the entire organization. This is shown schematically below. Eikenhof Supply System AMP Zwartkopjies Supply System AMP Palmiet Supply System AMP Mapleton Supply System AMP Vereeniging Purification System AMP Zuikerbosch Purification System AMP Rand W ater Consolidated AMP Figure 122: Asset Management PlansAlthough the management objectives and the planning are logically split according to the functional areas above, the technical expertise is asset type specific and cuts across the different functional areas. Seven areas of technical expertise have been identified below and a detailed breakdown of assets is provided in Annexure A. : 1. Buildings and Property; 2. Civil Structures; 3. Pipelines; 4. Electrical Equipment; 5. Mechanical Equipment; 6. Process Plant; and 7. Automation Equipment. In order to effectively manage the asset portfolio, planning should done by functional area, with each functional area being assigned to one Asset Management Planner.The technical expertise of managing the assets is best arranged by asset group and should be headed by an Asset Manager. The Asset Management Planner should have expertise in planning and the primary management responsibility of developing and implementing Asset Management Plans fo r each Supply System. This includes defining service levels, forecasting demand, integration, optimised decision making, and developing long term financial plans. The Asset Manager should have a strong technical background in design, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the asset group and the primary management responsibility of optimally managing the lifecycle of the asset group, bearing in mind the priorities and constraints of each Supply System.This includes managing condition data collection, assessing asset risk, setting standards, and the development of maintenance and rehabilitation strategies. These two groups will interact in a matrix structure as shown below. Figure 123: Asset Management Planning and Management Structure It should be noted that the Asset Managers help the Asset Management Planners develop the best asset management strategies to achieve the specific objectives of the Supply System. For example, the strategy to manage pumps in a Supply System may be differen t from the strategy to manage pumps in a Purification System as the pumps pose different risks to the achievement of the management outcomes.Even between two different Supply Systems, similar pumps may have different strategies as they may pose different risks to each particular Supply System. The organogram under the Senior Manager Assets is shown below. Figure 124: Organogram There is substantial integration required between all the units under the Senior Manager: Assets to implement effective asset management practices. These interfaces will mature with the implementation of a structured asset management improvement process. 13. 14. ASSET MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT PROCESS Rand Water is at the initiation stage of the implementation of asset management as a holistic practice across its structure.A new structure has been formed under a strategic asset manager and the mandate has been given for the structure to implement asset management best practice. The strategic asset manager now ne eds to proceed with the implementation process. The process for the adoption of asset management within Rand Water follows the approach advocated by PAS55 with additional guidance from the IIMM. The process starts with the development of an asset management policy that is aligned with the strategic objectives of the organization. The policy then guides the development of an asset management strategy, which is a set of actions, to enable asset management within the organization.The strategy needs to be implemented in a manner that develops internal capacity in the organization to execute the asset management practices as a part of everyday business. A process of improvement management then needs to be adopted to ensure that the asset management capabilities are further developed and refined with time. The asset management strategy implementation will require substantial change management to raise the capability from awareness through to integration. The process is shown in the table below. | Asset Management Policy| Asset Management Strategy| Strategy Implementation| Improvement Management| What is it? | Broadly outlines how and why AM will be undertaken across the organisation as a whole. | Specifies actions to be undertaken to improve AM capability to achieve specific objectives. Implementation of the identified actions . | Continuous refinement of the strategy and implementation of revised actions. | Objective| Provides the organisational foundation and mandate to undertake AM in a structured and coordinated manner. | Develops a structured set of actions aimed at enabling AM within the organisation. | Develops internal capability to implement and sustain AM practices. | Refines AM capabilities through continuous structured improvement management. | Description| * Organizational context, importance of AM * Organizational vision and goals and AM vision and goals * AM policies underpinning AM goals * Key performance measures for policies incl. imeframes * AM re sponsibilities and relationships * AM integration with business processes| * Description of current practices * Description of required practices to achieve AM vision and goals * Identification of the gap between current practices and future vision * Identification and description of strategies to close the gaps in a structured manner| * Raising of awareness across the organization * Developing of technical understanding * Embedding of AM practices through application * Integration of AM practices to achieve multi-disciplinary AM benefits| * Optimisation of AM practices through refinement and enhancement * Innovation of new and best practices that deliver step changes rather than incremental change| 15. ASSET MANAGEMENT STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT The asset management strategy specifies the actions that need to be undertaken to develop, improve and embed asset management capacity within the organization in order to achieve the corporate objectives.The process of strategy development is to assess the organization’s asset management system by means of an asset management practices audit, which compares the organization's current asset management practices against the requirements of PAS 55 and international best practice. The audit is made against the asset management system components that comprise asset management within the organization. The identified best practice â€Å"gaps† are prioritized and programmed in an asset management strategy to drive improvement. Furthermore, the audit provides a benchmark to measure organizational improvement and maturity annually. 16. ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM COMPONENTS The asset management system is a whole of life asset management framework that reflects the management and control level in the organization as well as the different stages of the asset lifecycle i. e. he system addresses the strategic, tactical and operational management of the organization as well as the planning, implementation and asset care phases o f the asset lifecycle. Note that the disposal stage is included under the asset care phase. The asset management system components illustrated below provide a high level structure for the strategy development. Each component should be reviewed in detail to determine the level of maturity of current practices, the best appropriate maturity level, and to define the actions required to achieve best practice. The components are shown in the figure below and described in greater detail in the text that follows.FIGURE PROVIDED SEPARATELY Figure 151: Asset Management System Components Strategic Management Components Asset Management Policy and Strategy An Asset Management Policy is a description of an organisation’s approach to Asset Management. It provides both the link between the overall organisational strategic plan and an effective Asset Management Plan, and also provides the start of the rationale that ultimately justifies every Asset Management activity the organisation under takes. An Asset Management Strategy documents the organisation’s overall approach to managing physical assets. It describes how the Asset Management Policy is to be implemented.As such it needs to be closely aligned with that policy as well as linking to other associated higher level strategies (e. g. operational strategic plans etc. ) Risk Management Policy A Risk Management Policy is a description of an organisation’s approach to Risk Management. It addresses the management of risk between the strategic, tactical and operational level of management and the linkages between these levels. It is closely aligned to the Asset Management Policy. Statutory Compliance Organisations must be fully aware of the duties imposed under legal instruments for all of their activities and must ensure its systems and procedures fully comply with the requirements.The organisation should have a system for identifying the laws and regulations applying to all activities involved with physic al assets and to ensure its systems and procedures comply with the requirements. Organisational Alignment and Commitment Organizational alignment and commitment across the organization is essential for the successful implementation of asset management. The Asset Management Policy, Strategy, and Plans should be aligned with corporate objectives. The asset management strategy implementation should be overseen by a steering committee with representation by departments including finance, corporate, planning, maintenance, operations, and project management. Asset management information and plans should be widely available and used across the organization to inform strategic and tactical plans across the organization.A strong commitment to an asset management improvement process by senior executive management, backed by the availing of adequate resources to implement the process, has proved to be a significant determinant of asset management success and lead to the realisation of asset ma nagement benefits. Asset Management Structure and Responsibilities The definition of roles and responsibilities for the implementation of the Asset Management Strategy is necessary to ensure clarity of purpose and to manage interfaces between line functions. Asset management KPIs should strengthen the accountability towards the implementation of the strategy. Customer Service Level ManagementThe setting and management of Customer Service Levels have substantial influence on the Asset Management Plans, which have the objective of providing the desired level of service in the most cost-effective manner (IIMM). The setting of Customer Service Levels should be undertaken in a consultative basis with customers and should reflect customer expectations. Improvement Actions and Management of Change Improvement actions and management of change are the combined processes, systems and procedures in place in an organisation to specifically deal with corrective actions, preventive actions and co ntinuous improvement actions. Financing StrategyThe financing strategy should quantify the total cost of asset ownership and the funding needs for additional capacity, level of service changes, asset renewal, and maintenance and operations over a long term planning period (20 years). The impact on funding sources and tariff setting should be determined to manage the surplus/deficit and to maintain financial sustainability over the long term. Investment decision making should incorporate organizational risk and triple-bottom-line consequences in the analysis framework. Skills Enhancement and Management Skills Enhancement and Management refers to the processes utilised to manage personnel training and development, along with staff retention systems. Tactical Management Components Subgroup: Planning Demand ForecastingDemand forecasting is the estimation of the change in demand based on population and land use change within a long term planning horizon (20 years). Demand forecasts incor porate several demand influences including service level changes, pricing, customer types, and consumption trends. Several demand forecast scenarios are developed and associated risks are quantified. Failure Prediction (capacity) Capacity failure prediction is the evaluation of capacity against forecast demand to predict failure time and the associate risks thereof. Failure Prediction (condition) Condition failure prediction is the prediction of asset decay and the associated risks of asset deterioration over time along with the dentification of appropriate asset strategies to manage the risks. Strategic Maintenance Planning The Strategic Maintenance Plan documents the continuing suitability, adequacy, effectiveness and efficiency of the Asset Care function by addressing formal compliance audits results, performance against KPIs, incident results, progress against previous management reviews, and plans for improvement. Reliability Engineering ; RAM analysis Reliability, Availability , Maintainability (RAM) Analysis provides organisational risk based assessments to highlight which assets are providing optimised return on investment and are being administered effectively at lowest cost.It involves understanding the concept of the three critical factors and how each affects the other. RAM can be applied at any point in the project lifecycle from concept to operation. However, it is most cost-effective at the early detailed design stage when the required operating parameters are known, equipment designs/vendors have been selected and engineering feedback from the RAM study can still be effectively and efficiently incorporated into the overall design. Asset Lifecycle Analysis Life cycle analysis involves the analysis of all costs associated with owning an asset. It is the sum of all recurring and non-recurring costs over the full life span of an asset or system.It includes the purchase price, installation cost, operating costs, maintenance and upgrade costs and the salvage value at the end of ownership or its useful life. Optimised Decision Making Optimised Decision Making is the process of identifying and prioritising projects/interventions required to manage risks at optimal timing, along with multi-criteria prioritisation based on lifecycle cost and triple-bottom-line based consequence analysis. The decision making is integrated across service disciplines and functional areas to derive the optimal project/intervention program that results in the best investment for the organization. Investment AnalysisInvestment Analysis refers to the evaluation framework and financial analysis used to evaluate the viability of the investments and to inform investment decision making. Investment analysis includes financial modelling and the quantification of net present value, benefit-cost ratios, risk reduction benefits, societal benefits, etc. Asset Management Plan The Asset Management Plan informs the organization of how the assets will be managed over t he long term (20 years) along with a short term implementation plan (5 years). The Asset Management Plan highlights the changes in demand, service levels, and asset condition along with the risks that these pose to the organization.It quantifies the long term funding needs and constraints and explains how the funding will be prioritised between the competing needs. It provides a prioritised short term (5 year) project/intervention program for implementation. It also incorporates the asset management improvement plan, which guides the organization on the practices to improve over the short term. Subgroup: Implementation Lifecycle Design Optimisation Lifecycle Design Optimisation is the process of incorporating lifecycle analysis, maintenance strategy, and maintenance constraints into the design phase to ensure that infrastructure is designed in a manner that minimises the long term lifecycle cost of asset ownership. Operational Readiness and CommissioningOperational Readiness is a st ructured systemic process that is used to prepare for the project operational phase. It is used to ensure that new or modified assets or systems are able to commence operation in the desired and expected manner. It is an integrated, proactive, considered approach to projects that ensures that people are operationally ready, systems are operationally ready, and assets are operationally ready. Commissioning is an integral part of the Operational Readiness process that refers to the execution of the testing, dynamic verification and acceptance plans for the assets to ensure the asset has been delivered to the required quality and performance criteria. Equipment StandardisationEquipment Standardisation describes the continual improvement method of reducing the cost of inventory and maintenance, by reducing instances of machinery, materials or spare parts that are one-off or stand-alone compared to others in use at a site. When equipment is standardised, one suite of spare parts can be u sed, and training for personnel is reduced, which in turn reduces overall maintenance cost. Subgroup: Asset Care Maintenance Performance Management (KPIs) Performance metrics (KPIs) are measures of an organisation's activities and performance and enable maintenance performance to be monitored against specific targets. Asset StrategiesAsset Strategy Development is the process to ensure that appropriate maintenance activities are performed with optimum effectiveness and efficiency to allow an organisation to achieve its business objectives at the lowest asset lifecycle cost. Failure Analysis and Root Cause Mitigation Failure Analysis and Root Cause Mitigation is the identification of potential costly failures and mitigation of all possible root causes of such failures. â€Å"Apollo Root Cause Analysis† is an event-based problem solving technique widely used as a leading practice to identify failure modes and effects on the process. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) are reliability based techniques and products that can be used to solve a wide range of reliability problems. Reliability Centred MaintenanceReliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) is a process that is used to determine what sort of maintenance needs to be carried out on any physical asset with a focus on preserving its system functions, rather than preserving the equipment. RCM is a logical, structured framework for determining the optimum mix of applicable and effective maintenance activities needed to sustain the desired level of operational reliability of systems and equipment while ensuring their safe and economical operation and support. External benchmarking Benchmarking is a continuous improvement tool that is used to achieve improved performance by measuring the organisation against other organisations that are identified as exhibiting leading practice worldwide. SustainabilitySustainability is the evaluation of the envi ronmental, economic and social impact of the assets and the extent to which the triple-bottom-line elements are incorporated in the organisation’s practices. Loss Mapping and Analysis All organisations are working to get competitive returns from their investments in assets. The complexity in plants and equipment through process automation and technology has substantially increased the number of problems that can cause production problems. To identify the source of the problems which contribute to major losses is a very important criterion to prioritise the process improvement projects. Maintenance/Operations Integration Maintenance/Operations Integration is a management principle with derivative actions, and is designed to combine the organisational functions of theOperations and Maintenance groups in order to become more effective and efficient. Integration ensures that the human resources of both departments have a clear, common and collective purpose to improve the equipme nt performance, and subsequently the benefits to the business. Operational Risk Analysis (compliance, contingency plan, risk management) The Operational Risk Management (ORM) process is undertaken to identify and quantify risk exposure and then develop suitable strategies, plans and procedures to maximise its upside and minimise its downside exposures. Operational Management Components Subgroup: Planning Planning Data Collection (condition, usage, risk)Planning data collection refers to the collection of information for planning purposes, which usually includes condition, usage, and risk data amongst other data. This information typically covers the entire asset group and is used to identify projects/interventions that need to be implemented over the planning horizon. Planning Information Management (condition, usage, risk, GIS) Planning Information Management refers to application of systems to manage planning information. Due to the different nature of planning and maintenance dat a, planning data typically does not reside is a CMMS, but rather resides within a GIS and planning database. Linkages between systems are important to allow the transfer of data for planning and analysis. Subgroup: ImplementationMaterial and Contract Management (vendor reliability, material management) Vendor Reliability refers to the capacity and capability of a vendor (or group of vendors) to consistently supply goods and services to the client in a timely manner as per defined specifications and standards. Materials Management is the complete set of processes and procedures that are used to ensure that resources other than personnel, tools and equipment are readily available to support all maintenance activities. Subgroup: Asset Care Maintenance Information Mgmt (CMMS) Maintenance Information Management entails acquiring, organising, maintaining and retrieving maintenance information.A Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is a system to assist with the effective and efficient management of maintenance activities through the application of computer technology. It generally includes elements such as a Work Order system, as well as facilities for scheduling Routine Maintenance Tasks, and recording and storing Standard Jobs, Bills of Materials and Applications Parts Lists, and other associated features. Maintenance Identification and Prioritisation Maintenance Identification is the process of defining what needs to be done to an existing asset to either ensure it remains in a state whereby it can perform its stated function, or can be efficiently returned to such a state.Maintenance Prioritisation is the process of determining a ranking or rating for a defined amount of work, based on an objective assessment of the importance of the work, in terms of the impact failure of the asset would have. Asset Criticality can be incorporated during this prioritisation process. Preventative Maintenance (inspections, work management) Preventive Maintenance is t he systematic care, servicing and inspection of equipment for the purpose of maintaining it in serviceable condition and detecting and eliminating failure modes. The ultimate goal of doing preventive maintenance is to keep the equipment running to its required function and operational standard. Work management covers all procedures that are followed to ensure that maintenance work is carried out in an efficient and effective manner.Work execution procedures are usually enacted by maintenance supervisors or coordinators and apply to work being done under the authority of properly planned and scheduled work orders. Planning and Scheduling (budgeting, short and medium-term planning, scheduling) Maintenance planning and scheduling includes the budgeting, planning and scheduling of equipment maintenance strategies to ensure that activities are performed with optimum effectiveness and efficiency. Health, Safety and Environment Health Safety and Environmental (HSE) management encompasses t he systems and procedures that are adopted to reduce the risk of causing harm to people and the environment that may be associated with the way in which maintenance activities are carried out. Condition Based MaintenanceCondition Based Maintenance is an equipment maintenance strategy based on measuring the condition of equipment in order to assess whether it will fail during some future period, and then taking appropriate action to avoid the consequences of that failure. The condition of equipment could be monitored using Condition Monitoring, Statistical Process Control techniques, by monitoring equipment performance, or through the use of the Human Senses. The terms Condition Based Maintenance, On-Condition Maintenance and Predictive Maintenance can be used interchangeably. Autonomous Maintenance Autonomous Maintenance refers to the management routine and minor maintenance of equipment without the need or requirement for intervention from a dedicated maintenance team. It is the ru nning repairs and adjustments that can be performed by the operators, before, after and during the use of the machinery.To enable these tasks to be completed effectively, operators need to be trained in the types of adjustments and repairs they are expected to perform, and given a degree of ownership of the equipment. Autonomous maintenance relies heavily on training and education to be able to identify the difference between normal and abnormal operation of the equipment they are operating. Organizational Support Components Information Architecture and Business Process Information Architecture is the flow of information and defines where and whom will be updating various data fields to ensure accurate information and accountability as it flows through various systems (GIS, CMMS, etc. ) Information flow mapping and allocating responsibility for data management increases the quality of the information.Business Process mapping identifies the process of tasks and responsibilities for t he implementation of key processes in the business. 17. CONCLUSION This document provides a framework for the adoption of a structured approach to implement asset management best practice within Rand Water. The document clarifies the scope of asset management, identifies a quality framework to adopt, describes the high level structure and responsibilities, defines an improvement process, and defines the asset management system components that should be developed in the improvement process to implement a whole of life asset management approach within the organisation.The implementation process required to adopt and embed asset management practices in a structured manner is described in this document and is the recommended way forward for Rand Water. Annexure A:ASSET PORTFOLIOS The following table lists a comprehensive collection of Rand Water’s Strategic Assets. The Assets of Rand Water can broadly be grouped into the following portfolios (in alphabetical order): Buildings and Property| Civil Structures| Pipelines and Servitudes| Electrical Equipment| Mechanical Equipment| Process Plants| Automation Equipment| Access control Air conditioning CarportsCCTVElectricsEngine Rooms Estates Farms Fencing Fire protection Furniture GardensHostels Houses Interior decorationIntruder detectionLandOffices Passive SecurityPavingPlant uildings SewageStoresWorkshops Encroachment | Balancing TanksBarrage structureBridgesCarbonation baysConditioning baysControl WorksCanal Engine RoomsFiltersForebayFlocculators OverflowsPlant structuresRailway sidingsReservoirsRoadsSediment tanksSumps| Air valvesBreak pressure tanksConnectionsCulvertsDeviationsElectrolysisFlow controlIn-line filtersInner liningsIsolation valvesJunctionsMeter chambersNon-return valvesOuter coatingsPipe manufacture plantPipelinesPipeline protectionPressure controlProtectionScour chambersScour valvesServitudesSurveyTunnelsValve chambersWater hammer systemsWater lossesEncroachment| BatteriesBattery chargersCabl ingControl desksControl panelsDistribution boardsEarthingElectricity supplyEmergency generatorsEnergy meteringEnergy managementHarmonic filtersHydro power LightingLightning protectionLV switchgearMimicsMinisubsMotor control centresMotorsMV switchgearPower factor correctionProtectionReticulationRing main unitsSubstationsTransformersUPS’sVSD’s / soft starters| ActuatorsBlowersCompressorsConveyorsCranesCrushersDesludge bridgesDust extractionGatesPipeworkPressure vesselsPumpsValvesNon return valvesSteelworkThickenersSump pumpsVehiclesEarth moving| AmmoniaCarbonationChlorineFerric ChlorideGAC filtrationLime burningLime slakingMembraneMilk of lime dosingOzonePoly ElectrolyteRWW treatmentSand filtrationSodium hypochloriteUltra violet lightChemical supplyChemical quality| ArchestraCommunicationControl CentresControl schemesFlood controlFlow meteringHuman Machine InterfacesInstrumentation PLCScadaInsql data historiansIndustrial networks Industrial serversIndustrial softwareSW c onfiguration controlTelemetryIntelligent control|

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis †Literature Essay

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis – Literature Essay Free Online Research Papers Main Street by Sinclair Lewis Literature Essay Evil and corruption can lurk just below the surface where we least expect it, the intensity and fever of living in places one might propose as perfect and peaceful can drive people to act in very disturbing ways. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis is the tale of a woman from the city who marries a small town man and moves into that town with him. As the book discusses, it has always been an American myth that the small towns were idealic, prosperous and peaceful. â€Å"This is how people keep up the tradition of the perfect home-town, the happy boyhood, the brilliant college friends. We forget so.†1 However, the picture that Lewis paints of the small town is one of racism, fear, and hatred. One where hate crimes are readily accepted so long as done in the name of the Republican Party and what they view to be biblical. Where neighbors spy on each other, watching for anything to gossip about, and use this gossip to destroy people’s lives. Where women are held to an unrealistic standard while men are allowed to do as they please, so long as what they please does not involve socialism. But perhaps most dangerous of all, it is an environment that slowly absorbs those who come to it and bite them with th e â€Å"Village Virus† until they become as twisted and wicked as those around them. Yet, from non-fictional sources it appears as though Lewis was not exaggerating his case at all. That in fact, these attitudes and these acts were embraced, where performed and the Gopher Prairie that Main Street resides within is not even the worst of all possible cases. One of the biggest topics the villagers of Gopher Prairie talk about with a sense of fear is that of Socialists. The town lives off of milking the farmers, if the farmers were ever to organize then those of the small town would lose quite a bit of their wealth. As put in the words of the character Jack Elder â€Å"Lord knows what’s come over workman, nowadays- don’t appreciate a good job†¦ What they ought to do is simply to hang every one of these agitators, and that would settle the whole thing right off.† 1 Although Jack Elder’s suggestion of hanging is said in frustration rather than a declaration of real intent, in reality there were such an attitude in the United States in those days and sometimes those words were acted upon. Fredrick Lewis Allen in his book Only Yesterday describes an event where â€Å"the patrioctic citizenry took out of the jail a member of the I.W.W- a white American, be it noted- and lynched him by tying a rope around his neck and throwing him off a bridge.† 2 Although this was a single event, it certainly showed that socialists in general were being targeted and summarily executed by mobs. This seems to be a strange contrast, mobs of the lower classes attacking and killing those who would work for the good of the lower class. However, business men have the ability to speak much louder than a ragtag group of political uprisers and can stir up quite a bit of fear and discontentment. The citizens often stood not so much against what the socialists wanted for fear of their own loss of profit like Jack Elder, but often because of fear of their own safety. The socialist movement in Russia had taken off and was quite successful. It seemed to many Americans that socialism would sweep across Europe and jump over the Atlantic. â€Å"They seriously thought- or at least millions of them did- that a Red revolution might begin in the United States the next month or next week, and they were less concerned with making the world safe for democracy than making America safe for themselves.† Thus the American people as a whole quickly turned on and viciously assaulted those amongst them who would stand up against their oppressors and try to create a better world for them and their children. During World War I, the difference between a socialist and a German could hardly be understood by the average American citizen. Despite the fact that the Germans were in an imperialistic system that put them directly at odds with the Socialists, the average citizen was ignorant enough of the world to not be able to understand the difference. Further, any American with German descent would be targeted and attacked as they were expected to be a German sympathizer regardless of what else their family had done. This is illustrated very blatantly in Main Street when it states â€Å"Cy got much reputation by whipping a farm boy named Adolph Pochbaur for being a ‘damn hyphenated German’†¦ This was the younger Pochbauer, who was killed in the Argonne, while trying to bring the body of his Yankee captain back to the lines.† 1 Thus the village cheered on the brattiest child in all their midst for beating a very patriotic and heroic American citizen simply for his racia l heritage. However, a person with a different heritage and who would be critical of the United States in time of war may well have been considered to have a death sentence on their head. In Only Yesterday it mentions an event where â€Å"a jury in Indiana took two minutes to acquit a man for shooting and killing an aien because he had shouted ‘To hell with the United States’† 2 German descendants were not only attacked and beaten, but often they were forced to buy war bonds even if they could not afford to do so. This too is illustrated in Main Street when after his wife dies a near-penniless Sweedish Socialist leaves town and it is said of him, â€Å"the citizens’ committee ought to have forced him to be patriotic- let on like they could send him to jail if he didn’t volunteer and come through for bonds and the Y.M.C.A. They’ve worked that stunt fine with all these German farmers.†1 Thus the anti-German fever was at such a high point that they were considered to be freely open to be beaten while at the same time expected to prove themselves to be more patriotic than any of the Yankees would themselves. The roles of men and women were kept very separate and stringent as well. While the walls preventing a woman from going to college had been broken down, a woman was expected to dress a certain way and was immediately to blame if anything should happen to her. In the clothing area, one area that seemed to have obsession in the early years of the twentieth century was a woman’s ankles. When Cy is speaking of Carol early in the book he says â€Å"some ankles she’s got, heh?† 1 which causes Carol in turn to feel like â€Å"she was being dragged naked down Main Street† 1 Later it is spoken about the new dances and clothing, â€Å"We used to waltz and dance contra dances. None of these new jigs and not wear any clothes to speak of. We covered out hides in those days; no tight skirts like now.† However, if they did not like the cut of Carol’s dresses then, they would be appalled at what could come shortly later. In Only Yesterday it says â€Å"a f ashion-writer reported in the New York Times that â€Å"the American woman†¦ has lifted her skirt beyond any modest limitation,† which as another way of saying the hem was now all of nine inches above the ground† 2 The skirts continued to go higher and higher during the twenties. However, the fashions of men were similarly held in check. When a Swedish tailor comes into down they speak of him â€Å"isn’t he the perfect lady though! He talks so refined, and oh, the lugs he puts on- belted coat, and pique collar with a gold pin, and socks to match his necktie† 1 They refer to this boy, Erik, as ‘Elizabeth’ for the rest of his stay in town. However, he is soon chased away only to end up becoming a movie actor later. Only Yesterday states that â€Å"Short-haired women, like long-haired men, are associated with radicalism, if not with free love.† 2 Actions of women were similarly held in check. In Main Street, it tells of the town school teacher who is escorted to a dance by one of her students. The student gets drunk and then tries to molest her as he drives her back home. Yet, despite that she did everything as she should have as soon as rumors surface she is fired from her job and finds it impossible to get work elsewhere. It is said by the most sympathetic party, â€Å"Not any of us would believe a word Cy said, not if he swore it on a stack of bibles, but still, after all this gossip, Miss Mullins wouldn’t hardly be the party to chaperon our basket-ball team† 1 Thus gossip itself would prove to be a woman’s undoing. These acts were brought to light through the small town tradition of watching one’s neighbors looking for anything that could be construed against them. Carol feels in the book as if â€Å"Enemies leered through the windows, stole on her from the hall.† 1 Only Yesterday says t hat the code of the day was that â€Å" â€Å"Women were the guardians of mortality; they were made of finger stuff than men and were expected to act accordingly. Young girls must look forward in innocence (tempered perhaps with a modicum of physiological instruction) to a romantic love match which would lead them to the alter and to living happily ever-after; and until the â€Å"right man† came along they must allow no male to kiss them. It is expected that some men would succumb to the temprations of sex, but only with a special class of outlawed women† 2 A good deal of this break-down was from those who has returned from war. â€Å"In France, two million men had found themselves very close to filth and annihilation and very far from the American moral code and its defenders; prostitution has followed the flag and willing mademoiseels from Armentieres had been plentiful; American girls sent over as nurses and war workers had come under the influence of continental manners and standards†¦ It was impossible this generation to return unchanged when the ordeal was over.† Thus the very war that those of the old ways had encouraged and shouted on, the war they had attacked and killed dissenters over became the wooden stake to end the old ways themselves, or at least put them under for a time. However the most insidious thing about small town life that Main Street speaks of is that which it calls the Village Virus. â€Å"The Village Virus is the germ which- it’s extraordinarially like the hook-worm- it infects ambitious people who stay too long in the provinces.† It goes on to describe that the virus cuts people off from the literary and political world until they have found that they have become as small-minded and simple as the people they looked down upon. Those who lived in the town of Gopher Prairie always spoke of it as if it, and they in turn, were perfect. It would seem as though from looking at Only Yesterday as though all contained within the pages of Main Street was not at all an exaggeration of the situation. The people of the town were so caught up in mob mentality while watching to make sure no one else strayed from the flock, that they were completely oblivious to their own problems and short comings. But while they professed all was perfect in their town, none were truly very happy. When asked for help to fix up the town, one of its oldest residents unknowingly lets out his true opinion, â€Å"I’ve had people that have traveled all over the world tell me time and time again that Gopher Prairie is the prettiest place in the Middle-west. Good enough for anybody. Certainly good enough for Mama and me. Besides! Mama and me are planning to go out to Pasadena and buy a bungalow and live there.† 1 Research Papers on Main Street by Sinclair Lewis - Literature EssayNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraWhere Wild and West MeetThe Spring and AutumnEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationTwilight of the UAWHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andQuebec and Canada

Memorizing Lines - Memorization Tips

Memorizing Lines - Memorization Tips From time to time you will be required to memorize lines for a play, a speech, or a skit of some kind. For some students this will come easily, but others may experience anxiety at the thought of memorizing lines. The first task is to separate out any anxiety about speaking in front of others and deal with that apart from the actual memorization process. Realize that memorizing is one source of concern, and speaking to a group is another. Focus on one issue at a time. Just knowing this will ease some of your worry and give you more of a sense of control. We worry about things when they feel out of our control. Memorizing Lines The best single advice for memorizing anything is to study in a way that appeals to as many senses as you can. By seeing, hearing, feeling, and even smelling your material, you reinforce it in your brain. There are several ways to reinforce information through your senses. Your best bet is to combine three of these techniques. Youll find that some techniques are appropriate for your specific assignment and others are not. Memorizing With Sight Visual prompts act as a great tool for reinforcing information and committing them to memory. Use flash cards. Put all your prompts on one side and your lines on the other.Draw a series of pictures that represent your speech or your lines. Remember picture stories from preschool? Be very creative and think of a picture story to go along with your lines. After youve created your picture story, go back and say your lines as you look at the pictures.Say your lines in front of a mirror and move your face or your arms a special way to emphasize specific words or passages.If your lines come in the form of a script, cover over other actors lines with strips of sticky note. This makes your own lines stand out on the page. Read them over several times.Visualize other actors faces saying your cues and follow with your own lines that follow the cues.Use your smart phone to video yourself saying your lines and watch it. Then repeat if necessary. Memorizing With Feeling Feelings can be internal (emotional) or external (tactile). Either type of experience will reinforce your information. Write out your lines. The act of writing the words provides very strong reinforcement.Carry your script or speech with you at all times and read the full text when you get a chance to get a strong emotional feel for it.Get to know your character. Understand why you say and do what you do.Act out your lines as you say them, even if this is an unemotional speech. You can so this in front of a mirror and  exaggerate your words with dramatic gestures. Of course, you dont want to do this during your actual speech, but you will be thinking about it.Try memorizing backward, from end to start. This separates the emotion from the words. Then read the text from start to finish, with feeling. This technique reinforces the emotional aspect.Learn to think like your character (get a feel for him or her). This can save you if you forget your lines on stage. Simply think like the character and say what he would say as close to the real lines as possible. Memorizing With Sound Sound is a very effective tool for memorization. There are a few different ways to incorporate sound into your memorization skills. Read the script and record the lines of the other performers and leave the microphone off as you read your own lines. This leaves blank air space for your lines. Go back and practice saying your own lines at the appropriate times.Record your lines with exaggerated vocal expressions. You may even want to yell your words. Exaggerations leave big imprints in your brain.Record the entire play or performance during a rehearsal.Carry your recorder with you and listen to it as often as you can.

COMPANY LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

COMPANY LAW - Essay Example The deregulatory claims are premised on the view that inside information fosters market efficiency and that granting the property rights to security managers is an efficient compensation scheme. Prohibition of insider trading in European Union is justified on the basis of equity and fairness to all market participants. Generally, both firms, shareholders and the society benefit from the accurate pricing of the securities since it leads to efficient allocation of capital and decreases the volatility of the prices in the market thus attracting the risk-averse investors. The firm will also benefit from the accurate pricing through increase investor confidence in the security and reduction in monitoring costs. According to the proponents of deregulation, insider trading will benefit the society since it moves the price to a level which it would be if the inside information was available to the public. Henry Manne, asserts that insider trading leads to price accuracy thus it is an efficie nt mechanism for compensating the security managers for the release of stock information2. The aim of the new EU rules was address the divergence of the member states in their approach to market abuse3. Variations in the national laws have allowed many security managers to escape prosecution for insider dealing. Some countries even lack the sanction powers while other countries do not have sanctions for certain market manipulation offences. For instance, Bulgaria does not have any criminal laws to govern insider trading while other countries impose only up to five years maximum imprisonment for inside trading related offences. Another problem to the effectiveness of the sanctions is the Bank secrecy laws in some countries. For instance, French authorities have faced challenges in tracing the persons who executed order in Paris Stock Exchange via the Swiss banks. Some of the problematic effectiveness of sanctions includes the gaps in regulation of commodity derivatives, lack of legal certainty of the market abuse directive, the gaps in regulating new markets, platforms and over the counter instruments in the emerging markets. EU Directive 2003/6/EC24 adopted in 2003 updated the legal framework on insider dealing and market manipulation behavior. However, several market, technological and legislative changes have led to changes in the financial landscape thus creating loopholes for insider dealing. The Market Abuse Directive (MAD) faced numerous challenges in curbing insider trading. For instance, Section 3.1.1 of the MAD covered limited financial instruments

Regulatory Frameworks of the Equity Markets of Australia and the USA Essay

Regulatory Frameworks of the Equity Markets of Australia and the USA - Essay Example The structure of organized exchanges and the trading policies imposed by regulatory bodies continue to influence the turnover of physical shares, price formation of equities and trading costs, while generally exerting pressure on the behavior of market participants and the overall competitiveness of securities markets. This report will discuss the structures and regulatory frameworks of the equity markets of Australia and the United States of America. As a reference point, the major exchanges in both countries will be compared, where the NYSE is used as the benchmark for the exchange activities of ASX and Nasdaq. Also, the report will include a rundown of equity-funding alternatives for a listed US corporation, as required. The equity market of Australia is operated largely by its organized stock exchange, the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). Trade of ASX stocks takes place on a fully competitive and automated order-driven trading system, known as the Stock Exchange Automated Trading System (SEATS) (Elvis Jarnecic, June 1999). Trading is facilitated through the placement of a purchase order by a market participant with a broker, either by way of telephone or online through the internet, on regular trading days. In contrast, the New York Stock Exchange or NYSE operates under a hybrid market structure. Kaj Hedvall (CEFA, 2006) defines hybrid markets as a specialists market and the NYSE as an order-driven, floor-based, continuous market with specialists. Also known as an auction market; these specialists converge on the floor of NYSE to facilitate the reporting of bids and asks, execute the trade and maintain order on the floor.   NASDAQ, on the other hand, is a quote-driven, dealer market. At present, there are over 500 dealers-also called market-makers, composed of large investment companies, who buys and sells shares of stocks through a personal inventory of NASDAQ-listed stocks to earn a profit from a regulated bid/ask spread.   NASDAQ is the largest scree n-based market in the United States. Screen-based means that there is no physical location, but trading is based on computers and other communication mediums (Block, S et al, 2002). Thus, NASDAQ market makers conduct the exchange not through a physical trading floor, but by way of an electronic network. While each security under Nasdaq has an average of 14 market makers competing against each other, only one specialist is designated to every NYSE-listed stock. It can be observed that Australia operates a purely order-driven market while the major exchanges of the USA, conduct trading in a purely quote-driven market for NASDAQ and a cross between the two pure market models, the hybrid market, a structure of the NYSE.   The advantage of an order-driven market is the inherent transparency of the system since all buy and sell orders of participants are posted on the market, providing information on which prices investors are willing to buy or sell shares. This is not an attribute of a quote-driven market where only the bid and ask offers of market makers are displayed.